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Your Wedding First Dance BY: John Carrafa

I wanted to write a bit about an amazing new find! His name is John Carrafa and he is one of the best dance choreographers on the planet! I have the right to say that. LOL  Many of you already know that I was a professional ballerina for many years. Alec and I shot a wedding last month ( Luke and Sarah). Well Luke and Sarah kept going on and on about this dance and how they had this very famous dance choreographer teaching them a routine. And the routine involved the entire bridal party. I had no idea that when I met John we had known each other from the dance world in NYC. The world of professional dancers is very small. Or maybe the world is getting smaller, or maybe it is fate that I met John again after so many years. John has choreographed over 30 films and 10 Broadway shows! The man knows what he is doing, and he is a super nice down to earth guy. If your wedding first dance is important to you or you are thinking about a way to make your wedding stand out. Forget about the fireworks, hahaha I think John is the better choice!! John he is located in LA and NY but will travel. I cannot say enough good things about John…OH and Luke & Sarahs dance was so cool that the wedding guest went crazy and they did an encore John Carrafa A First Dance

Contact: johncarrafa@me.com to set up a consultation or call (917) 553-5363 to arrange for a special one of a kind gift for a wedding couple.

To see Luke and Sarahs wedding Click hear

Wedding planners in Cabo San Lucas ALEC and T. PHOTOGRAPHY

Cabo wedding planners.  I have brides ask me all the time this question. Do I need a wedding planner? What wedding coordinator do you and Alec suggest? What if the resort has a wedding planner do I still need to use an independent company. My answer is always this.Tell me about your wedding?  And then what resort? Many of the resorts have amazing planners and other resort wedding planners are just to busy. The planners at the resorts are not there to make your fishing reservations or pack your gift bags! So depending on how resourceful you are you may need an outside wedding coordinator. Alec and I work with almost everyone in town and of coarse have out favorites! depending on your wedding your personality and your needs is how we suggest a wedding coordinator in Cabo. Some planners in Cabo are extremely seasoned and have designed 100s of weddings.  Others are very creative and specialize in higher end. And then others that are great at just the basic guide you help out on the day of. Depending on your wedding needs and your budget.

Cabo Wedding Photographer ALEC and T.PHOTOGRAPHY

A little advice from a destination wedding photographer. Lets chat about your ceremony set up. If you think its not important think again. If your wedding photography is important to you then so should your ceremony set up! I recently did a wedding and the set up was worse then United Airlines and they had the entire beach to take advantage of I put some guidelines below. Find out whom is placing the chairs and the chuppa and do not assume that they know what they are doing take charge and make sure your wedding planner or florist is aware of what you want. The pointers below will make sure your wedding photos are the best they can be!!

1.The set up should be in an angle to the sun ( you do not want to be squinting the whole time)

2. Leave at least 9 feet from the last row of chairs and the chuppa ( this is a big one)

3. The aisle should be wide and long 3 people should be able to comfortable walk down side by side

4. If using urns or vases at the front they need to be far enough apart that they do not cause shadows in the bride and grooms faces

5. Do not have anything hanging down from the front of the Chuppa or fabric draping to low.

6. Look to see what is directly behind you.it will be in your photos( trash cans,beach showers you get the idea)

7. Do not have the back of the ceremony set up to close to a wall or pool  ( your photography and videographer need room  to back up)

Cabo Wedding Rentals Linens and Things By Suzanne Morel

Cabo San Lucas weddings have just gotten better thanks to Linens Things and More by Suzanne Morel . The wedding designs are wonderful!  Suzanne has not stopped designing table clothes,  chair backs,  table runners,  napkins and more for the past several months. The designs are new and innovative. If you are looking for a totally unique wedding Suzanne is the one in Cabo to contact. She is very hands on and is designing each wedding one at a time. Suzanne’s linens are as simple and elegant as you would like or as elaborate as you can dream. I just left her office very excited after seeing a whole new batch of  amazing fabrics and fun accents. Linen and things full time seamstress has her work cut out for her this coming season as Suzanne continues to come up with fresh new designs for this seasons up and coming weddings!! Its great to have all these fun new ideas in Cabo!! Thanks again Suzanne Morel

Cabo Wedding Flowers Beautiful Floral Designs by ALEC and T. PHOTOGRAPHY

Wedding flowers in Cabo San Lucas. I have brides ask me many Cabo wedding related questions and one huge question is who would I recommend when it comes to floral designs in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Here are 2 of my very favorite Los Cabos floral designers. Alec and I have worked with them both many times and can say we highly recommend them!! Elaina Damy Floral designs and Rene Larios Cabo Floral studios.

The wedding first dance, Cabo San Lucas, Alec & T. Photography

Traditionally the first dance takes place after dinner, and gets the party started. Another great idea is to do it at the very beginning of the wedding reception, right after the bride and groom are announced they break into dance.Why? Your hair and make up will be fresh and so will you for photos also you will still have everyone’s attention. And  if you only have your wedding photographer for a few hours , the wedding  first dance will be captured!!

Great wedding cocktail ideas, Los Cabos Mexico

Most destination weddings  have a cocktail hour that is just after the wedding ceremony and just  before dinner. Love this! This also gives Alec and I as photographers the time to spend with the Bride and Groom getting those great sunset beach shots . We just shot a wedding in Los Cabos at Pedergal beach and the Bride had the Catering company in this case it was Denis catering in Los Cabos  bring the drinks to the beach.They looked really refreshing! This photos make you want a vacation

Los Cabos Sunset Times, planning your wedding ceremony time

When ever Alec and I are planning wedding photography time lines, I need to know the exact Sunset time, on a particular wedding day.In order to plan for that amazing golden light that Cabo San Lucas has to offer, I work with planners to get the ceremony time just right, so we have it perfect for those amazing couple shots. I found this very cool link that I wanted to share. This wedding photo was taken at the Sunset DA Mona Lisa in Los Cabos, just before sunset.

CLICK FOR SUNSET CALENDAR

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Destination Wedding Photography Tips

Wedding Photography Tips for the Bride and Groom

This is just a few wedding photography tips that will really help your photographer. Alec & I.( Alec & T. Photography) Remind our brides to, think about your walk…When you walk down the isle, Let everyone get a good look at you, don’t run, walk slowly let your father take you with pride, and please don’t look down the entire time, sometimes the sun is bright and its hard to look up but at least look forward not down.. these photos are incredible. We want to see your eyes and your dress and your hair, not the top of your head. Everyone wants to take you in, act like as if you’re on the red carpet! You may actually be. This gives the photographer the chance to get emotional close ups of you and your Father, we also will capture the grooms reaction. When entering your reception for the first time as man and wife, think of something fun dance your way in or take several bows anything but walk and sit, take your time you are the star. Make a grand entrance.

Alec & T. Photography

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Why Cabo San Lucas for your destination wedding?

Los Cabos Mexico, is a perfect destination for a wedding. That of course is my opinion.Why I came to this conclusion.

Alec and I Alec & T. Photography have been shooting destination weddings for many years. And I must say legally not on tourist Visas. Alec is a Mexican And I work with a FM2. We have shot many weddings all over Mexico Cancun, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Playa Del Carmen, Cuernavaca.When, we decided to move to Mexico, we looked into many things and this is why we came up with Los Cabos.

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* .Location, Location, Its a hop skip and jump to our Los Angele’s Studio. Cabo has many flights a day to the USA.Your wedding guests will have no problems with flights in and out!

* Weather, perfect weather a bit hot in August and Sept,but other wise very little humidity, and beautiful Cabos San Lucas nights.you can almost guarantee your wedding day will be sunny and warm!!

* Safety , Los Cabos is very much of an island and is very safe.Your not asking your wedding guests to an unsafe area.

* Not a lot of bugs..this one was for me pretty big I hate mosquito’s, and they love me in Cancun.

* The resorts and hotels are beautiful and very clean, as is Los Cabos. You can still see the beach as you drive.

* Los Cabos has a very quaint feeling, it’s not overly built with hotels and resorts! I love the feeling.

* You have many wedding locations to choose from, Hotel Resorts Villas, Restaurants.

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Destination Wedding Budgets, Design your own Wedding Budget.

Wedding budgets, how to budget your destination wedding and

have your dream Los Cabos Wedding

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I found this wedding budget below ( putting everything in percentages) on the knots’ website and I have to say, I completely disagree with doing your wedding budget this way. What ever happened to what’s important to you?? Here is an Idea…
#1. Figure out out how much money you want/can spend on your wedding?
#2. decide what are the most important things to you? Wedding photography , Wedding Venue ( location) flowers, music. Prioritize by importance to you!

#3.Then work everything else around (what’s important to you)
Maybe you need to cut your wedding guest list? Or maybe you want 300 people, and you have to change your venue to be somewhere less expensive? Maybe you want a huge diamond and will be happy getting married the two of you on the beach? Maybe you want the best photographer, and you use candles instead of flowers? It’s your wedding don’t worry about making everything fit. Work around the things that mean the most to you. Design your own budget percentage. Try not to follow the cookie cutter wedding guides that put your wedding in a generic box. dare to be different.T

THIS IS A SURE WAY TO PUT YOUR WEDDING IN A BOX!! Follow the breakdown below
Knot Note: The average cost for a 150-person wedding is about $25,000 (higher in urban areas).

This is way off if you ask me….

• Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay: this is about 100 degrees away from what I would do. 2% on a ring that is going to stay on my finger for the rest of my life…..and 8% for flowers that are dead by 2am…… lets re think this please
  Wedding Reception: 48%-50%
  Wedding Ceremony: 2%-3%
  Wedding Attire: 8%-10%
  Wedding Flowers: 8%-10%
  Entertainment/Music: 8%-10%
  Photography/Videography: 10%-12%
  Stationery: 2%-3%
  Wedding Rings: 2%-3%
  Parking/Transportation: 2%-3%
  Gifts: 2%-3%
  Miscellaneous: 8%
• To avoid stress, allot about 5% of your budget for a “just-in-case” fund.
• If you’re paying for your honeymoon yourselves, remember to budget for that as well.
• 

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When Alec and I got married I wanted a orchestra…I wanted everything upscale… But I really wanted an orchestra for our first dance! I got my orchestra and it was amazing. How? I opted for a small wedding of 80 instead of the 300 we had planned on at first, I didn’t go crazy on flowers in the church,or spend a fortune on the rehearsal dinner. It was a great choice, everything was upscale and wonderful.

Mexico Destination Wedding Tips

Things to think about when planning a destination wedding

1.Research the Mexico wedding location, as far as accessibility make sure your guests will have plenty of airline and flight options.
2.Plan the time of year for your wedding date carefully. Avoid hot months and hurricane season.
3.As soon as you have chosen your Mexico location ,Contact a local wedding planner. Get a feel for their business practices and follow up skills ask for wedding credentials. Bringing a planner from home will not help you with local vendors, or your negotiations with your wedding venues, good local wedding planners are familiar with the reputation of all the wedding vendors in the area. You will get more for your dollar 9 out of 10 times.
4.When at all possible visit the Mexico location. Have site inspections,meet with many local vendors.Alec, and I are considered to be local Los Cabos Mexico wedding photographers, we have 15 years experience in LA and San Diego and still do over 10 weddings a year in the USA, so don’t be surprised if your locals are as good or better in some cases as the wedding professionals from home.
5. Give advance notice to all your wedding guests with a save the date card.
6. Plan to come at least 2 days before your Mexico wedding to have all your legal wedding requirements taken care of blood test and paper work.
7.Plan activity’s for your wedding guests, fishing trips,sunset cruises,day at the spa, golfing etc. Make your wedding mini vacation for everyone.
8.remind guests not to bring wedding gifts to Mexico.Its very hard to get them back to the states. providea home town address where they should be sent.
9.Dont get stuck in a hotel packages get creative research great restaurants that cater to weddings and villa weddings are a very upscale option.
10.Dont be surprised if most of your invited wedding guests do come.Mexico is a great place to vacation!

Choosing your Mexico Destination wedding photographer

Choosing Your Los Cabos Destination Wedding Photographer

1. The very first thing you need to do is decide how important your wedding photos will be to you. (Your photos will be your memory of the entire wedding in the future) you need to decide how important that memory is to you, when deciding on your budget. Destination weddings are usually smaller in guest size and many family and friends will depend on the photos to live the event.

2. Look at several wedding photographers and compare wedding styles.Alec, and I do a combination of Candid/Photojournalists and high fashion, Most of are work is filled with true emotion, photos that make you laugh smile and cry.

3. You must see an entire wedding 1 or 2. Many photographers take thousands of photos and get very few photos that make you go wow. Look for somebody that is consistent.Do you like what you see in this complete wedding?

4. Very important. Do you like the wedding photographer him or her, do you feel comfortable with him or her? It will show in your photographs. They are invited to your wedding!

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5. Communication, you need to have an open door of communication. You should feel like you know him/her on your wedding day.

6. Make sure the photographer has a valid work permit for the country the wedding will take place.it is illegal for a photographer to work under a tourist visa.Alec, and I have seen entire weddings shut down.And equipment temporally taken. Mexico is getting much tougher on this.

7. Contracts,agreements.Make sure to get everything in writing. Alec and I have a valid US contract that is very clear on our policy’s, and what we have promised you.Make sure delivery time is stated.

8. Backup equipment,many destination wedding locations in Mexico are very humid,among other things, make sure the wedding photographer works with back up cameras.Any thing can happen.

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9. Experience Weddings Photography is completely different than any other type of photography, we have ever done.You must really understand the logistics of the wedding day.Wedding photographers work under extreme pressure with sometimes terrible light,everything thing happening very fast and real people not models.A wedding photographer must move fast and has no time to miss a beat.this comes with experience.

10.If you’re choosing your photographer based on his packages,you are thinking of quantity not quality.Beware of to good to be true.your wedding day is not just another day,it’s a day that is remembered for many many years,memory’s generated by photos.

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Destination Weddings in Los Cabos, Wedding Photography

How to get the best out of your destination wedding photographer ? Timing is one way! When planning your ceremony time, think about, what light that will be available after the ceremony is finished. The best way to solve lack of light for photos after the ceremony is take them before; this in my opinion is the best way to get the most out of your photographs and photographer. If you really do not want to see each other before the ceremony make sure you have plenty of day light after the ceremony so your wedding photos are not rushed, racing the sun is not the ideal…

Alec and I love natural light, everyone looks their best. And we try to use it most of the time. Natural light is the best just before sunset and a bit after or very early in the morning (harsh direct sunlight,is some thing destination wedding photographers need to learn and deal with,becouse we get stuck with it all the time) It’s frustrating not to be able to take advantage of those hours and give you those gorgeous soft light shots, because of timing. This is when your wedding coordinator comes in to help you save the day!!Wedding planners are great money spent and will save your day many many times over.

this wedding photo was taken just before sunset the light was very even soft and beautiful

High ISO is great for artistic night shots (very cool reception shots) but not suited for family photos that should take place after or before the ceremony and in the light. The new digital cameras, are amazing.having the ability to use a very high ISO,for making night shots a dream,compared to film cameras. so to sum it up decide on your ceremony time carefully.And then move on to the party!!

These Photos were taken in very very low light

Wedding Albums by Alec & T. Photography, Los Cabos Photographer

Alec and I have worked with many different professional wedding album Company’s in the USA & Europe. We believe we have found the best as far as quality and presentation.We can remember when there was only a handful,and today they are popping up everywhere on the Internet,in a variety of classes ( we’ve actually seen coffee table books for $45) Your Album is where your memories will reside.They deserve to live on with pride.

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Our Wedding album advice is this. #1When you hire a Professional Photographer you are hiring an artist,let the Artist design the book,and complete his/her painting. #2 You get what you pay for. When the Album comes in the Photography package,( and the package is, wow a great deal…question the quality of the book) Ive seen those albums,they do not look professional . #3 Less is more,to many photos look messy and unprofessional. Highlight your favorite photos.we believe 50-65 photos makes the perfect classy book.#4 Simple simple simple,will stand the test of time.and quality of the book, you want your grandchildren to look at it some day,and talk about how beautiful you are! #5 If a quality wedding Photographer and an album are not in your budget,you can always print the album later,you’re stuck with the photos you cant take them later..choose your photographer wisely,your photos will end up being your wedding memories and everyone elses as well.

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